


A Regular Shakespeare

by ahausonfire (thisiswherethefishlives)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Derek Nurse has a Fan Club, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, William Poindexter is pissed, oblivious boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 14:57:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9907736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisiswherethefishlives/pseuds/ahausonfire
Summary: In which Derek Nurse has groupies and William Poindexter is incredibly put out over it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Bitty's tweets and this glorious post by justjackbitty.

* * *

 

“Bro, that was seriously rude of you. What is your deal?”

For all the casual graciousness Nurse had shown his fans five minutes ago, it figures that Dex can’t get a second of his attention that isn’t negative. And, like… it’s not like Dex _wants_ to be a dick to total strangers, but… it’s fuckin’ embarrassing! It makes Dex die a little inside every time someone falls over themselves to get with _Nurse_ of all people… just because he’s gorgeous and funny and smart and annoying… ugh.

It’s embarrassing, is all, but that’s not exactly something you admit out loud, so Dex shrugs it off instead.

“Look, Nurse. Just because you’re used to groupies fawning over you all the time doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”

Setting his shoulders for confrontation, Dex turns away to head toward the dorms, hoping against hope that Nurse will go flirt with one of his followers… or something.

Of course, because Dex sucks at life, Nursey follows him instead.

“What the fuck does that mean? I don’t have _groupies_ , Dex.”

“Okay. That is hilarious. Where were you literally five minutes ago when your supplicants were tripping over each other to get your attention?”

Dex tries to walk faster, as if it will let him get away from this conversation, but Nurse sprints forward just enough to head him off.

It feels like a trap.

“You mean the two freshmen that wanted to know if I was on the back of the fall schedule? That was hardly _anything_ …”

“Oh my _god_ , it wasn’t ‘hardly anything’ you moron! That girl was five seconds from giving you her phone number and that guy! That _guy_ might as well have had knee pads on for how obviously willing he was to suck your dick.”

Nursey’s face goes blank at Dex’s outburst before smoothing out into something sharp and knowing, and _this_ is why Dex tried to walk away. As insufferable as Nurse is on a regular basis, he’s ten times worse when he thinks he has you figured out.

“You know, Dexy, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.”

Dex can feel his jaw drop at that. Literally. He didn’t think people did that in real life, but apparently today is all about uncomfortable revelations. Speechless, all he can do is watch as Nurse continues, talking with his hands like a crazy person.

“What, you don’t like the idea of anyone else getting attention? Like, are you the only one allowed to have people lusting after you? I didn’t even _notice_ that they were into me, so, it’s not like it was even a thing?!”

“ _Wait_ ,” Dex cuts Nurse off, because he’s clearly about to go on for ages. “People don’t _lust_ for me - what the hell, Nurse?”

“Oh please, what about the guy from the soccer team last week when we were waiting in line at Annie’s? Or that guy from your Comp Sci class… Tad, or whatever the fuck his name is? He was all over you last week, and it was beyond gross man. Like, it was one thing to watch him simper over you at the quad, but then that ‘study date’ he insisted on that you had at the haus? I literally had to get the wet wipes from Bitty’s room just to clean up the drool after he finally left.”

As Nursey goes on, Dex tries to remember the instances that he’s bringing up… but it’s all wrong.

“No, Thad was into _you_ , that’s why he wanted to study at the haus. I thought you knew that… I mean, you hung out for the entire thing and kept making eyes at him.” Putting the reality of the situation together with Nurse’s retelling leaves a heavy feeling at the pit of Dex’s stomach. “God, Nurse, were you trying to wheel him? Like, you didn’t have to, he was watching you the entire time and I wasn’t interested in him to begin with… though it’s good to know that you would try to steal someone I was ‘interested in’ if it suited you. Fuckin’ thanks for that.”

There’s a bad taste in Dex’s mouth, and not for the first time he wants out of this conversation. He’s about to say as much when Nursey beats him to the punch.

“The only one I’m interested in, Poindexter, is you.” Nursey spits the words out like they hurt, which is funny… because they’re the sweetest things Dex has heard in a long time. “Jesus, you think I’m trying to snake dudes from you? I just want you to notice _me_ for five seconds.”

“Well… that’s one way to get my attention, you fucking goober.”

Nurse’s lips twist at that, and Dex wants nothing more than to reach over to smooth them out with his fingers… or his lips, whichever.

“Seriously, Nurse… you think I can pay attention to anyone else when you’re there, _all the time_ , doing that thing with your face? And your hands? And your fucking _elbows_? Like, I’ve never met anyone else in my _life_ with attractive elbows, you piece of shit, so… don’t tell me you want me to notice you for five seconds when you’re the only person I want to see.”

If Dex hadn’t just bared his heart to the object of his reluctant affections, he’d probably be a little less concerned about the way Nursey goes silent at that. He looks lost for a second, as if he _wasn’t_ the most attractive person Dex knew… as if he wasn’t used to people confessing their crushes to him all the time.

Finally, the dumb look leaves his stupid face, and he rewards Dex’s patience with the single most romantic utterance of either of their young lives.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, _oh_. You’re a regular Shakespeare, Nurse. Swear to god, I end up crushing on the least smooth English major in the world. Here I was, thinking that you were the romantic type - all poetry and wooing - but all I get is ‘ _Oh_ ’.”

As far as chirps go, it’s pretty weak, but from the way Nursey’s beaming at him like Dex hung the fuckin’ moon, it could have been worse.

And if they spend the rest of the walk to the dorms holding hands?

_Yeah_ … it could have been worse.

 


End file.
